From pole position to also-ran: How did Indian cricket team miss out on WTC finals?

Australia have beaten India to the post, and the series score line of 3-1 doesn’t lie. The Indian cricket team lost the Sydney Test match by 6 wickets and also were knocked out of the race for the WTC finals. It was a sad end to the 2023-2025 cycle, with India finishing third in the table. Defending champions Australia are set to face South Africa in the finals at the home of cricket at Lord’s in June. 

2024 began with the massive 4-1 win over England at home, and at that point India were the overwhelming favourites to head to the finals. Team India had played the earlier two finals in 2021 and 2023 and lost to New Zealand and Australia. Post the IPL and the euphoria of winning the T20 World Cup, the new regime took over. 

Gautam Gambhir, fresh from his exploits as a mentor with the Kolkata Knight Riders, was appointed as the Indian coach. Huge home series beckoned from September to November as Bangladesh and New Zealand were set to visit Indian shores. All Rohit Sharma’s men had to do was win those five games and enter the WTC finals as the top-ranked team. 

How did India lose out on the WTC final spot?

Team India broke no sweat as they beat Bangladesh in the two-match series with a 2-0 margin. Those two games showed that India was very much a force to be reckoned with, and the change in regime didn’t matter. The second Test in Kanpur, for example, showed India could play Baz-Ball better than England when the need arises. 

New Zealand skipper Tom Latham came to India and revealed his intentions of playing aggressive cricket. Over the next few weeks, the Kiwis not only destroyed Indian team morale but also single-handedly changed the WTC table around as well. In the first Test at Bengaluru, India were bowled out for 46 and lost the game by 8 wickets. 

Mitchell Santner then spun his web of spin around a clueless Indian batting unit to claim 13 wickets in the game. The loss was India’s first home loss for over a dozen years, ending their home streak. Ajaz Patel then tormented India at the Wankhede Stadium to help the visitors take the series 3-0 and whitewash India in their own backyard. 

Suddenly the tour of Australia was huge, and India had to win the series 4-0 or hope other results went their way. Rohit Sharma didn’t play the Perth Test, which the visitors won by 295 runs. Suddenly there was a new vigour in the team as they headed to Adelaide for the Pink Ball test match. 

What followed was a one-sided hammering as Travis Head’s 140 helped his side win the game by 10 wickets. By this time England had beaten New Zealand in the 3-match series to knock out the Kiwis out of reckoning to make it to the WTC finals. Rain played spoilsport in Brisbane, and the game ended in a draw. Along with that, R. Ashwin also called time on his career, which caused a lot of surprise. 

The Boxing Day Test saw India lose the game by 184 runs as 7 wickets in the final session of play on the fifth day turned the tide. South Africa’s narrow win over Pakistan meant that they now topped the table and made their maiden appearance in WTC finals a reality. 

Focus turned to India’s SCG test, which they had to win and level the series 2-2. Post this, all India had to do was pray and hope Sri Lanka beat Australia in their series. Sadly, India lost the fifth Test by 6 wickets, and by the time the winning runs were hit, the spirit was already gone. 

Coming into the game, the Indian cricket team had been under the microscope, with Rohit Sharma opting out of the game. News of team leaks and reported discontent didn’t help the cause, as the visitors looked deflated. One man stood out though, Jasprit Bumrah, a man who had carried India’s hopes on his back. Ironically, it was the same back that gave away on day two of the game, rendering Bumrah out of the contest. With India’s talisman gone, so were the hopes.

The Indian cricket team, from being in the pole position, saw their control run out in the final few turns. The fuel ran out, and the team didn’t even see the checkered flag. While the sun was at its brightest in Sydney, the series is set to be the dusk for many. Where does Indian cricket go from here? We still have six months to figure it out.